Dangerous Secrets
by Maia of the Moon
Summary: As the Leviathan travels east, it picks up some men from another ship, including a sinister officer with hidden motives. Meanwhile, Deryn struggles to keep her secret- and her feelings- to herself. But every secret is discovered eventually... AlekxDeryn
1. Prologue

Prologue

The distress signals had come in the middle of the day, and the _Leviathan_ had landed in the small town on the Erivan River by night. Although Persia was technically neutral, the British and Russians occupied it, and the airship's unfortunate demise was still a mystery. They had decided to approach with caution. Luckily, some of the _Esperance_'s crew had survived, and, with much difficulty, had managed to secure the help of the locals and get the _Leviathan_ close enough to the ground that the Huxleys could be sent down to retrieve a few of the men.

In the aftermath following the battle in Istanbul, the _Leviathan_ had directed the Behemoth to a Russian hydrogen breather, which was to return it to Britain. Then it had begun its long journey east, exiting the Ottoman Empire for the exotic land of Persia. The ship was a week into her trip, and feistier than ever, but the pickup was going smoothly so far.

The last thing the crew of the _Leviathan _would have expected was an attack on the _Esperance_, but that had nevertheless been the cause of its downfall. Konrad Hahn's years of training had all lead up to this moment. The one and only purpose of this intricate mission was for him to pose as a British officer and transfer to the _Leviathan_. The ship was the biggest thorn in the Clankers' sides these days, especially after unleashing the Behemoth in Istanbul. But that would change. Soon, with his work, the_ Leviathan_ would be taken care of. Once and for all.

"Barking nasty weather, isn't it?" The chatty midshipman beside him muttered. And indeed, rain plummeted from the heavens in black sheets. The Huxley must have been the same one that Deryn had been unable to spook back up on the glacier, because it wasn't that perturbed.

Hahn smiled thinly and replied in perfect English, "Quite. And it looks as if it will only get worse."

"Great. And I have to feed the fléchette bats in half an hour," the boy complained. Then he perked up a little and stuck out his hand. "By the way, I'm Dylan Sharp. It's nice to meet you, Mr...?"

"Mr. George Hall," Hahn finished. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."


	2. Chapter One: Fencing

Volger was scheming again. There was no mistaking it. At first, Alek had seen no harm in the suggestion that he take over Dylan's fencing lessons, but when he had asked why, the Wildcount had proceeded to evade the subject quite masterfully, and he'd been beating around the bush for a good half hour or so now. The only reason, Alek was sure, was that he was hiding some ulterior motive that would raise its ugly head later on.

"I just don't understand why you can't continue with it yourself," Alek reiterated for what felt like the hundredth time. "It isn't that I'm opposed to it, but if you want me to, then don't I have the right to know why?" Really, he was actually beginning to look forward to the sessions on the spine, the rare moments in which he got to tease Dylan, and not the other way around, as per usual. But that didn't make him any less suspicious of Volger's intentions.

"I think it would make sense that, as practice, you attempt to teach someone else. Poor Mr. Sharp will come out with a botched education, unfortunately, but it seems a reasonable price for your own," Volger explained. Alek sighed loudly in exasperation and moved to a table, shooing a messenger lizard off the chair before he sat in it. They were in the wildcount's room; Alek had been permitted a short visit when he had asked, probably as a token of goodwill for having given himself up. Much of the crew still seemed to regard them as enemies, but the captain was friendly enough. And Dylan. Alek's irritated scowl lightened a bit when he thought of the midshipman, his only true friend aboard the _Leviathan. _They had been through so much together that he was beginning to feel as if they were brothers.

Finally Alek gave in and responded, "That hardly seems fair to Dylan, Volger. But I suppose I would do an alright job of it, even if you think otherwise. It certainly feels good to be better than him at something."

"_Mr._ Sharp," came a snide voice from under the table. Alek raised an eyebrow, amused, and descended beneath the table. A moment later he reappeared with Bovril on his shoulder. The loris had been chattering with the messenger lizard, which had happened to repeat a small fragment of conversation between Dr. Barlow and the captain. Obviously the messenger lizard, with its tedious repetition, had not proven very exciting, but then again, Bovril _was_ perspicacious.

Count Volger gave the loris a revolted look, the same look one might bestow upon a particularly large roach that had scuttled under their shoe. It seemed that Alek was still the only one who had gotten used to the Darwinist creatures. "Yes, I'm sure. And you have little to do in your room anyways. You insisted on making friends with Mr. Sharp, so you might as well make use of it now."

Whenever he and Volger came to a conclusion, Alek always felt as if he was losing an argument, and it got on his nerves. "Yes, yes, I'll do that. I might as well do it now, if we've nothing more to discuss, and anyways, I know you hate talking when the messenger lizards are around." With a barely concealed smirk, Alek turned and left. He had his moments. He opened and closed the door behind him, then set off towards his room, which wasn't far from Volger's. Technically they were confined to them, but allowances were made often. At the moment one of the _Leviathan_'s men was following Alek, serving as some sort of guard, but he was only there to make sure he didn't get into trouble. Other than that, Alek suspected he could probably wander the ship as he pleased.

Often, now that he wasn't taking such an active part in the activities about the Leviathan, Alek had taken to exploring it. He had been many places now, but it always seemed there were more to discover. At the moment he was close to the bridge, and heading towards the messenger lizards' room. When he passed that, he would be close to his own.

Alek was just about to turn a corner when he heard familiar voices in casual conversation. "...I swear, the Huxleys are getting bolder every day. I'll bet they're getting a little cracked in the attic, just like the ship."

"I do suppose it's true that they've been less nervous lately. D'you remember picking up the crew from the _Esperance_? The storm was blowing us about this way and that, but they barely seemed to notice!"

Grinning, Alek rounded the bend and declared cheerfully, "Hello, Mr. Sharp, Mr. Newkirk."

"Oh, hello, Alek!" Dylan said cheerfully. Newkirk glanced between the two for a moment then waved a farewell. "I'm going to take this opportunity to go have a nap. See you later." He seemed to have guessed they would probably stop to talk. Dylan waved as well, then turned his attention to Alek. Once Newkirk was out of earshot, he grinned. "So how is his princeliness this fine morning?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Alek chuckled. "I heard about the _Esperance_, but I haven't managed to catch any details. What was that all about?"

"Oh, some barking ship went and crashed," Dylan explained. "A lot of the men died, but there were some left, and we managed to get them aboard the Leviathan. We could take them, since the egg crate isn't needed anymore, and... you know how things went, back in Istanbul. There are a few spots open." Alek nodded sympathetically. He knew Dylan was referring to his disastrous first mission, but perhaps it would be best to move away from the subject quickly.

He reasoned, "So there are a few new men aboard the _Leviathan_? Sounds interesting. Just as I was beginning to memorize faces, too!"

"Aye, that's the way things are destined to happen," Dylan responded with a cheeky grin. "Where were you coming from, anyways? I thought you weren't supposed to be wandering around the ship anymore."

"Oh, I was just talking with Volger," Alek muttered, waving a hand dismissively. "He thinks that I should start giving you fencing lessons again."

"Fencing?" Dylan asked, his eyes widening. "Um, no. I don't feel like learning it anymore. Won't need it anyways, you know? No real use for it on a hydrogen breather, and I'd probably just end up hurting myself. Besides, Count Volger said I was hopeless. I probably have better things to do with my time. Hey, did you hear about Tazza and the other loris? Apparently they're best friends now! Dr. Barlow says—"

Alek cried, raising his hands and stepping back, "Slow down! I barely understood a thing you just said! You would think I had just asked you to jump right off the ship or something, with the excuses you were making! Everyone starts out hopeless, anyways, especially in Volger's eyes. He _still_ thinks I haven't a chance."

"Haven't a chance," Bovril echoed softly.

Dylan shifted his weight from foot to foot and avoided Alek's eyes. Alek realized that, for some remarkable reason, he was actually nervous. Such a rare occurrence for the cocky midshipman, and yet it had been brought on by the idea of more fencing lessons? Alek found himself quite bewildered. "Sorry, Alek," Dylan repeated. "I just don't want to do it anymore." And with that, he turned on his heel and began walking in the other direction, back towards his cabin.

"Wait!" Alek protested. He ran to catch up with Dylan and put a hand on his shoulder. The boy tensed, and Alek half-expected his hand to be swatted away. Instead he said softly, "Just leave me alone." Then he pulled away from Alek and continued down the hallway, his back straight, his footsteps unusually stiff. For some odd reason, Alek felt as if he had just been snubbed. Why did he take it personally that Dylan didn't feel like fencing anymore? It was a legitimate argument he had made, even if he had said it so quickly that Alek had barely been able to follow.

With a heavy feeling of remorse, Alek began heading towards his room again. He wondered if there was a single person in the world who could understand Dylan.


	3. Chapter Two: Fibbing and a Fight

As soon as Deryn got to her cabin and closed the door, she leaned on it and let out a deep sigh of relief. That barking _prince_! The more she saw him, the closer she came to revealing her secret. And now she'd gone and rejected a plain innocent offer just because she couldn't control herself. It was bloody unfair to Alek, and she ought to stop being such a_ Dummkopf_ about it all and just be a good friend.

...and she would, if she weren't in love with him. It was insane, so she had told herself countless times, but it was like a little tick she couldn't get rid of no matter how hard she scratched. And she could at least have fallen for someone without so many titles! She wished it had never happened. Alek was her friend, and he was never going to be more than that. He never could be more than that. She was cracked in the attic for sure if she couldn't figure that one out.

Still, it might be a good idea to go back and apologize for being such a ninny. She still didn't want to fence with him, especially now that the lessons had led to Count Volger discovering her secret, but she really shouldn't have been so rude. Making up her mind, she composed herself and left again. She had to walk Tazza in fifteen minutes, but surely it wouldn't take that long to just stop by Alek's room and say sorry.

And so Deryn set off down the hallway, her usual swagger back. She had practiced it so long under the image of Dylan that it had become natural to her, which apparently wasn't such a good thing, since it was a trait that appeared to charm girlie revolutionaries. But now that the only female aboard the ship was Dr. Barlow, Deryn imagined she was safe again. Even though Lilit's kiss hadn't been that bad.

Finally, Deryn arrived at Alek's door. She took one final breath to calm herself then rapped on the wood and waited for a reply. Soon she heard footsteps inside, and a moment later Alek opened the door, giving her a curious look. "Um, hello again, Dylan. Come in." Deryn nodded and entered the room. It still seemed dead fancy, even though she'd been in it quite a few times now.

"I think I was a bit of a _Dummkopf_ back there," she admitted. "I still don't want to fence anymore, but I was kind of sneaky, and it wasn't fair." Alek seemed confused, and she continued quickly, "I should have been clearer. Like I said, I don't think I have time for lessons anymore. There are all the usual duties, and now that the captain doesn't want me spying on you anymore..."

"Spying on me?" Alek spluttered. Deryn froze. "The captain told you to spy on me? Why? And why didn't you tell me? Dylan, I've given away every last one of my secrets to you. Don't you think I deserve the same? How can things work when you know everything there is to know about me, but I can't discern a thing about you?"

Deryn began to panic. "If I told you, it'd defeat the point, and besides, nothing bad happened because of it. Some secrets have to be kept! There's no yes or no about it. I'm sorry, Alek, but I can't give everything away to you. Believe me, I want to, but it would scramble everything up!" Her voice rose to a near-shriek and she covered it with a throaty cough.

Alek glared, his eyebrows drawn thunderously down towards his eyes. "Oh, I see how it's going to be, then. No matter how much I give up, brilliant Mr. Sharp gets to say what he wants when he wants, because he's so much better than the rest of us!"

"That's not what this is about!" Deryn shouted. Bovril began its frenzied laughing, adding to the clamour of their argument. "If you would stop being such a ninny and just _let me explain_—"

"Enough!" Alek snapped. His fists were clenched, but for a moment, Deryn thought his eyes looked glassy. She wanted to tell him. She wanted so badly to tell him, to go over and spill everything. And then she would put her arms around him and hug him and kiss his perfect lips and tell him she was sorry for all the confusion and the fighting, but they wouldn't fight anymore, now that he knew her for who she really was. But all that would never happen. Her eyes fell to the floor.

"I guess it is enough, isn't it?" she murmured. "I wish I could tell you, Alek. I wish we didn't have to be such _Dummkopfs_ about it. Believe me; I want to tell you even more than you want to know. But I can't." She had come to say sorry for refusing his fencing lessons, and now she was apologizing for keeping her biggest secret from him. She wished her heart would just take a vacation so she could be the dashing midshipman she had been before all this nonsense with a prince. An _archduke_, she corrected herself. A barking _archduke_.

Alek didn't seem so furious anymore. Just weary. Exasperated, but accepting that Deryn wasn't going to tell him. She hated forcing him to feel like that, but it wasn't her fault she'd been born a girl, and she had to keep it from everyone else if she wanted to do what she loved. She was pricked by a sharp pang of sympathy nevertheless. "I really am sorry," she whispered.

"Just leave," Alek responded stonily. Bovril's crazed laughter had stopped, and now the loris was uncharacteristically silent. Deryn paused for a moment then nodded and departed as she was told, her steps dragging on the red carpet until she was back out in the hall. She flinched when Alek slammed the door behind her. From the other side, she could just make out Bovril's words as it said solemnly, "_Mr._ Sharp." The phrase, usually just irksome, stung her, and she left quickly.

How would she speak to Alek now? He knew she was holding something back from him, something big. But she was still supposed to go serve breakfast to him and Volger every morning. She was sure he would keep asking questions, and sooner or later, he might guess...

Deryn was so deep in thought that she practically ran into Newkirk when he hopped down a staircase she was about to ascend.

"Mr. Sharp!" he exclaimed. "If you're going to be such an ignorant ninny, then it's only fair that you walk around with a big red flag on your hat so people know you're not going to move out of the way!" Despite her mood, his words brought a small smile to her lips.

"Aye, I guess I should," she agreed. A wry grin wrapped itself up in Newkirk's cheerful face. She wished she could be that carefree; Newkirk, she imagined, was probably not a girl in disguise. Quite suddenly, an idea struck her, and she requested, "While we're here, I have a favour to ask of you. You know that Clanker Prince? I have to bring him breakfast every day. But he and I, we're not getting on so well these days. Do you think you could do it instead?"

"Yeah, if pigs could fly," Newkirk scoffed good-naturedly. Deryn gave him a pointed look, and his self-satisfied smirk slowly faded to chagrin. "...Oh. Well."

Deryn chuckled. "Well that was just dead clever of you. So you'll do it, then?"

"I'm not so sure... I mean, whatever did he do to make you hate him all of a sudden, anyways? Just an hour ago, you two seemed as chummy as childhood friends. Surely you're not _that_ fickle, Mr. Sharp," he pointed out. Deryn shrugged. "Just do it? I'll do whatever chores you had. He's not such a bad guy, for a Clanker. You two will get along, I'm sure."

"You're up to something," Newkirk said with conviction. "But since I can't figure out what, I'll do it. For now. But it's not permanent! As soon as you two have your little spat sorted out, I want to be back where I should be, as far away from him as possible. He is an enemy, after all. It's something you would do well to keep in mind, Dylan," he added seriously. "You can't trust him."

"I know," Deryn agreed quietly. "That's why I don't want to be near him anymore."

Newkirk nodded, supporting her choice. "Good. The sooner those Clankers are off our ship, the better. They shouldn't be poisoning the _Leviathan _with their ugly contraptions, anyways. I'll see you later?"

Deryn said absently, "Aye. Later. See you then." Newkirk strode off past her, but she stayed where she was a moment longer, his words running through her head. Clankers were enemies, and she couldn't trust them. It was true that she was unable to put her faith in Alek, but Newkirk had had all the wrong reasons.

Being a girl could be so barking confusing sometimes!


	4. Chapter Three: A Lonesome Endeavour

(A big thank-you to all my wonderful reviewers! Without the motivation you all provided me, I think I would be ripping my hair out by now. Well, more of it, anyways. And as a side note: don't worry, I haven't forgotten about our Clanker spy. He'll come into the story a little later. And I am fully aware that Alek is rather a brat in this chapter. I don't know why it happened. I guess I just like seeing him get upset. :3)

* * *

The next morning, Alek was surprised to see a different face at his door. It was the other midshipman, Newkirk, and he didn't seem at all happy about being there. Alek invited him in, and once he'd put down his cargo of toast and scrambled eggs, he burst out, "Mr. Sharp is totally cracked. Did you know that yesterday, he asked me to come do this instead? Like he's avoiding you or something. He's been so jumpy lately, too! I'd bet you anything he's hiding something, sneaking around all secretive-like."

Alek raised an eyebrow. Mr. Newkirk had been standoffish with him in the past, so the sudden confiding of opinions had been unexpected, to say the least. "Yes, I agree. In fact, that's precisely what he told me. It's too bad he failed to mention what that secret _was_. I've told Dylan a lot of things about myself, things I was planning on keeping from everyone else, at least until that reporter Eddie Malone blackmailed me into an interview. It seems selfish of him to keep his own now that I've given up so much to him."

"Aye," Newkirk agreed hesitantly. He didn't want this Clanker to think they were best friends now, just because they agreed that Dylan was acting strangely. "But he makes everything so obvious. What sort of secret could he possibly have? Why would he want to keep something from us? It seems more likely that he would be running around, crowing enough to make our ears hurt."

Alek sighed and went to the table, indicating that Newkirk should do the same, then put his chin on his hands. "There's just something odd about the whole thing. At some times, it feels like we know each other better than anyone else, but at other times, I don't know him any better than I would a stranger in the street."

Newkirk nodded. "That sounds just about right. You can know Dylan like the back of your hand, but still not know him at all. I've had that happen more than once. But until now, I never really tried to figure out what I didn't know about him, exactly."

"Well, we know for sure that he's hiding something," Alek reasoned. "He said that himself. We just don't have any clues to go by. Unless..." He froze. Count Volger had been talking a lot about Dylan lately, and when they had met again after the _Leviathan_ picked him up in Istanbul, he had turned the topic of the conversation to him with very little reason, and he had acted strangely when Alek suggested Dylan was part of the reason he had given himself up and come back. Had Volger found anything out while he was gone? Whether or not he would share the information was another thing, of course, but Alek decided it was worth a try.

Newkirk continued, "Unless?" Alek snapped back to the room. "Unless we're able to get them from others. Count Volger might have an idea of what it is... back when we got aboard the Leviathan again, he was speaking strangely about Dylan. He might have a lead on all this. The problem would be getting him to tell us," he explained ruefully.

"Well, I'll wish you good luck with that," Newkirk responded with a shrug. "If I see anything out of place, I'll tell you, but I really don't see the reason in chasing Dylan around to figure out what he's hiding. But good luck anyways, I suppose. I should probably be leaving now."

"Alright," Alek said. His mind was whirring now, like one of those giant fans in some of the factories he had seen in Istanbul. He knew that Newkirk was right, and that Dylan's secrets were his own, but he was fuelled by a deep sense of injustice. He barely noticed the sound of the door closing behind Newkirk as he returned to his other duties.

What was Mr. Sharp's secret? There was very little to go on. He was avoiding fencing for some reason. Did that mean he had some kind of physical disability, one that could put him out of the air navy if it was discovered? If that were the case, then Alek hardly understood his reasons for hiding it. He was convinced that Dylan was one of the most able-bodied men aboard the _Leviathan_. And his reaction to Lilit's kiss; did that mean, then, that he was...? If that was the case, Alek admitted to himself, he would be rather shocked, and perhaps a bit perturbed, but still, it didn't seem to be a secret more important than those that he had shared in the past.

On a whim, Alek decided to see if he could make another visit to Volger. He stood up, his breakfast untouched, and strode towards the door. It was unlocked, but there was a guard posted outside. The Darwinists sure did seem to think he was an important prisoner. He asked the man, whom he vaguely recognized but whose name he couldn't recall, "Would you allow me to go and visit my friend again? I would take about as long as I did yesterday. I wanted to ask him a question."

The guard seemed unsure for a second, but slowly he began to nod, still with the appearance of being deep in thought. "Yes, I don't think that would be a problem. Come along, then." He set off down the corridor at a speedy pace, and Alek nearly ran to catch up. They took the same winding route from the day before, and all the while, Alek subconsciously hoped they might pass by Dylan. He hadn't the slightest idea why—it was hardly as if he could guess the other boy's secret just by looking at him—but he still kept an eye out and peered down adjacent hallways whenever he could.

Unfortunately, they arrived at Volger's stateroom a few minutes later, and Alek had seen no sign of Dylan. He knocked politely and entered when he was invited. The wildcount stood at one of the windows, watching the earth pass by hundreds of feet below. They made the usual courteous greetings as the guard departed, and with that over, Alek was free to ask his urgent question. "What in the world is Dylan hiding? I know you have at least some idea."

"So he hasn't told you, has he?" Volger chuckled, turning from the window to face Alek. He seemed bemused, and wore the face of a clever man who was aware of something everyone else wasn't. Of course, Alek supposed, that was exactly what he was, so he shouldn't have been at all surprised. He continued, "I was beginning to worry for a while that things had developed past the point where they could be controlled, and that I might have to take measures... but you haven't even found out, have you? It's better than I could have hoped for."

Alek bristled with anger. "So you don't want me to know either? Why is it that nobody will tell me? What could possibly be so important that you _and_ Dylan are trying so hard to cover it up?"

"Calm yourself, Prince Aleksandar."

This only fuelled Alek's indignation. "I might, if you agreed to tell me what was going on!" he muttered. Now he was more determined than ever to get to the root of this little secret. The more everyone tried to keep it from him, the stronger his need to figure it out became.

Volger spread his hands in a wry imitation of an expression of helplessness. "Unfortunately, I am sworn to secrecy unless certain circumstances prove otherwise. It will do no good to beg like a starving dog, so be off, would you?"

Alek let out a breath in an annoyed hiss, then stormed out of the room without so much as a farewell. He should have known that this wouldn't help. The startled guard now hurried to catch up with him as he marched back towards his room, every step filled with resentment. He was furious with Dylan, for being so cagey. He was furious with Volger, for being his usual underhand self. He was furious with his heritage, for forcing him to remain confined to one room on this magnificent ship. He was even furious with Newkirk, even though he didn't really have much to do with it all.

He hardly expected his eyes to begin watering as soon as he was back in the safety of his room. Indeed, he didn't understand it at all; he was livid, not miserable, so why were his eyes insisting that he cry? He ignored the burning and wiped the wetness away violently. It was plain ridiculous to be getting that upset over a withheld secret, as if he were a spoiled child left out of a game. Then again, perhaps that was what he was. Perhaps he was assuming too much by demanding that Dylan return the favour of giving everything away. Was he just being a big _Dummkopf _about all this?

A stern wave of pride stopped the thought in its tracks. Of course he wasn't overreacting. He had every right to know as much about Dylan as the boy knew about him. He wasn't being spoiled, nor was he being obsessive. He just wanted them to be on equal ground, and rightfully so.

He had a right to know.


	5. Chapter Four: What Are You?

As much as she would have liked to, Deryn couldn't avoid her duty all the time. Three days after she asked Newkirk to bring breakfast to Alek, something came up. She wasn't sure what—he had been unusually indecisive about it—but now she was stuck with the job again, at least for today. This time it was toast and marmalade and a fancy omelette with red peppers. If she were being served such a meal every day, she would have been in a better mood than Alek had been in last time she'd seen him, that was for sure. But then again, to him, this was probably the undesirable fare which he regarded as leftovers to be fed to a dog under the table. A prickle of frustration sparked in her mind, and she decided that if he acted like a bum-rag again today, then she would just avoid him altogether, no matter whether Newkirk brought the food instead.

Shortly after she passed Dr. Erasmus, yawning and on his way to give the messenger lizards their own morning meal, Deryn arrived at Alek's door. She had stood here countless times before, but what she felt was new: intimidation. As soon as she recognized the sentiment for what it was, she did everything she could to squish it, but it popped up again like an adder, angry and venomous. This was _Alek. _She had faced down free flight on a Huxley, German aeroplanes shooting at her, her ship crash-landing in the Alps, the menacing_ Herkules_, a battle with two ironclads, a secret mission to destroy Istanbul's kraken nets, a revolution, and countless other dangers with no more than a fierce sense of bravado, so why was one soft little prince so threatening? The worst he could do was throw a fit, and angry princes did _not_ scare Deryn Sharp.

...did they? She gulped. Her knees were practically knocking, even though she should have been perfectly relaxed. So maybe they hadn't gotten along the last time they had talked. Big deal. Unless she never wanted to talk to him again, she was going to have to stop being such a ninny and just knock on the door already. Without even thinking, that was exactly what she did: three plain, sharp raps. She balanced the tray in her other hand, feeling very much like a fancy-boots waiter in a restaurant, but the fantasy was shattered when Alek opened the door.

There were circles under his eyes the colour of eggplants, and instead of holding himself regally as usual, he was slouched over like a beggar. He nodded a dull hello, but his eyes sparked with a more usual curiosity when he noticed it was Deryn and not Newkirk. He opened the door wider and she walked in. He had barely left her enough room to squeeze by, and she tried her best to ignore the electric crackling along her shoulder when she brushed against him. What was she, a Tesla cannon? Once she was in, he gave her a conspicuous look, and her heart leapt into her throat. Had he guessed? How? When? Bloody Hell, if he and Newkirk had figured it out...

To hide her alarm, she bent over and put the breakfast on the table, taking care to avoid Bovril, who was asleep underneath. As she did, she commented, taking care to keep her voice low, "It looks like someone could have used a bit more sleep."

Deryn heard Alek's voice behind her, startlingly close. She could even feel his breath on her neck, and it sent shivers down her spine. "Yes, but I was busy thinking." She leaped straight back up and whirled around only to find that his face was mere inches from hers. They were almost precisely the same height, which made it worse. She retreated and exclaimed, "Barking spiders, Alek! Were you trying to crack our heads together?"

"Of course not. There's nothing wrong in taking a look at what's on the menu for today, is there? Or is that a problem? You never struck me as the jumpy sort."

Deryn argued, "I don't tend to be jumpy unless I have Clankers trying to give me a concussion!" She was about to continue when she realized that this would only lead to a repetition of their fight from three days ago. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Look, I'm sorry for fighting with you. Can we just forget about it and be friends again?"

"Easy for you to say, since by that arrangement, you could just go on keeping your secret and not caring about how I feel whatsoever," Alek retorted darkly.

"That's not true!" Deryn protested, taking a step closer again. "You can't just say that. Of course I care about you. If I didn't, you'd have gotten your bum in so much trouble by now, not even clever-beak Volger could pull you out of it, and that's saying something. Would you have told me yours, anyways, if Dr. Barlow hadn't figured almost all of it out already? I bet you wouldn't have. And by _that_ logic, I shouldn't have to tell you about myself either unless you've already guessed it." She crossed her arms, proud of her solid argument.

Alek stared her directly in the eye, his gaze bright with a fierce intelligence and determination. Suddenly, he seemed a world different from the exhausted, half-dead Alek that had let her in a moment ago. Had that been a purposeful disguise? "And what if I've already guessed it? What would you do then?" he demanded.

"If you were right, then I would tell you so. And the same if you were wrong," Deryn replied softly. She would keep her secret from him at all costs, and she would do everything she could to convince him that she was just a normal, male middy in the Royal Air Service, but she would_ not_ lie to him.

"I've put it all together," Alek began. "You became a midshipman, which means that you would have been in close quarters with other boys... Volger noticed something odd about you, and he would figure this kind of thing out... and you're always making excuses to be near me. I know what you are, Dylan. I'll admit it, it's unnatural, and I don't like it at all, but you're still my friend."

Deryn stared at him, uncomprehending. "I'm... what? What's unnatural? What do you think my secret is, exactly?"

"Stop pretending you don't know. You're homosexual, aren't you?"

Deryn kept staring. "I'm... what?" Then, ever so slowly, comprehension dawned on her. Wasn't it one of the things that man Sigmund Freud wrote about? She squeaked, her voice rising, "You—you think I'm—no! Alek, you have it all wrong! I'm not—no! That's not it at all, you barking ninny!"

"It's okay," Alek said quickly. "I've read about this! It's only... what's the word... arrested development, that's it! I think it's remarkably awkward, but you have my word: you're still my friend."

Deryn made a frustrated noise, which came out much squeakier than she had intended. She whirled and faced the window, taking a moment to regain control of herself. Her cheeks burned, and she could see them, bright red, in her reflection. Alek, she decided with conviction, was the biggest _Dummkopf _she'd ever known. But at least he hadn't figured out her true secret.

When she spoke, her voice was back to normal, and she even surprised herself with its calmness. "That's not what I am, Alek. I'm sorry, but you haven't guessed it right." She heard his boots scuffing across the carpet towards her, and the blank noise in her head grew as he came closer. When he had stopped, once again just inches from her, she could feel every nerve in her body screaming like it was on fire. She was torn between terror, knowing he was on the brink of finding her out, and desire, knowing that with the smallest, simplest movement, she could turn and make their lips meet.

His voice was wistful. "What are you, Dylan?"

"I'm a—" Deryn stopped herself just in time. This was_ enough_. She had to choose the ship or Alek. If she told him her secret, everything would change, and others might find out. If she stopped seeing him completely, she would be heartbroken, but at least she would have the _Leviathan_. Blinking back tears, she turned and ran out of the room without a word of farewell.

* * *

This chapter required a little research. I wanted to make an allusion to a venomous snake, but I wasn't sure if there were any in Scotland; turns out the adder is the only one. I also had to do some research on opinions of homosexuality in the 1910s; most of my information came from ENotes. Forgive me if some of it is incorrect. I figured Alek should be a little more accepting of it, if only to make up for the sexist ass he was in Behemoth. Plus, it made things go more smoothly. In general, though, he'd have been a bit forward-thinking for his time. Also, the term was only introduced in 1869, and I think Deryn, being the "commoner" that she is, probably wouldn't have understood it immediately like someone would today.

Anyhow, research analysis done. Thanks again to all my great reviewers. 3


	6. Chapter Five: Revelation

Thanks again to my amazing reviewers! Your comments make me smile and laugh, but most importantly, they provide inspiration and support, both of which are much needed. I love you guys. 3 This chapter is a little slow, but the ending is worth it. Promise.

* * *

Alek stood, shocked. He believed Dylan when the boy had told him that his guess was incorrect; he wasn't sure why, after their recent disagreements, but he believed him nevertheless. But if it wasn't that, then what was it? He racked his brain, trying to scrounge up other reasons, but his lack of sleep was beginning to lash back at him with a vengeance. He couldn't put all the evidence together anymore, not without everything falling apart. A small voice somewhere in his mind told him to just forget it all; nobody's life was in danger, and nothing was at stake, so he shouldn't worry about it. But he overruled it. Now that he had started this thing, he had to finish it, no matter what implications arose.

He stumbled over to a drawer and pulled out a notepad which he had been allowed to have, at his request, shortly after he came aboard the_ Leviathan_ again. He enjoyed writing down his thoughts, although it was a far cry from a diary. And right now, he needed an organized list of what he had figured out so far. He knew that there was a secret, first of all. He wrote that down in a big bubble in the middle of the page. And he knew that Dylan had been nervous lately. He wrote that too, putting it in another bubble then connecting the two with a line. He continued connecting various bits of helpful evidence until he had an entire web. He spoke strangely, he was a brilliant fool, and he loved the ship even more than Alek did...

None of this made any _sense_! Alek thrust his head into his hands and concentrated solely on the paper below him, but he couldn't draw any connections between all the ideas. He sighed, and his stomach chose that particular moment to let out a particularly loud complaint. He glanced down at the breakfast Dylan had left him. Despite how long their encounter had taken, the omelette still looked lukewarm, and he did like marmalade a lot. Perhaps Dylan's secret could wait. He picked up a fork.

By the time Alek was finished, he had managed to lull himself into a different state of mind. Dylan's problems were Dylan's problems, and he had to stop obsessing over them. It was alright to stop something that he had started, and nothing bad would come of it. He had been a bit of an ass as well, and if he was going to keep his only close friend on this ship, he was going to have to be more considerate. If Dylan ever decided to tell him, then he could, but otherwise, Alek would content himself with not knowing. It probably wasn't that important anyways. If it was, then he would probably have figured it out by now. And more importantly, they both had more important things to worry about. He could be heir to an entire empire, and yet here he was, worrying about the fact that his friend was keeping a secret from him. That was hardly as mature as it ought to be, and if he acted like this, then he certainly wasn't ready to inherit that throne. He knew he was a stronger person than that, so, he decided, it made sense to act like it.

For now, what he needed was sleep. He wasn't hungry or thirsty anymore, there were a few scraps of leftovers for Bovril when he woke up, and he had an entire day to plan for. A small nap was the best plan of action for the moment. Perhaps a couple hours, and after that, he could do some stretches then practice fencing... it would certainly be harder without Volger or Dylan around to serve as an opponent, but he could still practice his basic stance and techniques.

If he just went to sleep as he was, his hair would undoubtedly become horribly messy, and his clothes would likely wrinkle, but Alek had learned not to take himself quite so seriously. Besides, he would probably be without company in the following hours, until someone came with lunch (probably Mr. Newkirk again). There was no reason not to just lie in bed and go to sleep, so that's exactly what he did. Or at least, what he tried to do. The lying in bed was quite easy, but the going to sleep took a while. His mind was still buzzing from his failed attempt at figuring out Dylan's secret, and from their little confrontation. He took care to keep the curiosity out of his thoughts, with moderate success, but their verbal skirmish kept creeping back into his weary mind. There had been something there... something very odd. His foggy brain couldn't figure that out either, but some aspect of the entire conversation had just been strange, almost unreal. He had hardly acted himself, and Dylan had seemed like a different person as well. There was something that kept nagging at his subconscious, but whenever he grasped at it, it darted out of reach. Eventually, he began going in circles, and shortly after that, he dropped off into the mercy of sleep.

Alek was unsure whether it was the bright sun or the knocking on the door that woke him, but it was probably a mix of both. He stumbled out of the bed, running a quick hand through his hair. As he had feared, it stuck up in all directions like a hedge, but he had no time to fix it. He had snoozed until midday. He dashed to the door and opened it; as he had expected, Midshipman Newkirk stood outside. He seemed a bit more amiable than he had the first time he had arrived; over the past days, they had formed a wary friendship, if it could be called that. It was tolerance, at the least.

"Come in," he said cheerfully. Despite his hasty awakening, he felt much better with a few more hours of rest, and he felt as if the rest had restored his usual state of mind. Newkirk nodded his thanks and entered, replacing the old plate with the new. Bovril, now awake, hopped up onto a chair and sniffed a banana that had been placed on the side. Alek let it; it looked as if the banana were there for the loris anyways, and not him. There was also a boiled egg that he suspected was meant for sharing.

Newkirk asked, "So how is that investigation going? Have you figured it out yet?"

"No," Alek responded. "And I don't intend to, at least not anymore. Mr. Sharp's secrets are his own, and I think that I was assuming too much when I thought that he ought to tell me. There might be circumstances I don't know about, and more importantly, it seems so important to him that figuring it out might put our friendship at risk."

"Well, whatever knocked that bit of sense into your head, I'm glad for it," Newkirk remarked. "It seemed quite silly of you to go about stomping on his heels, so to say. It would be nice to know, it's true, but his issues are his own."

"Agreed," Alek stated with a grin. A thought, unrelated, came into his mind. "By any chance, did you have any free time? I can't go and see Count Volger whenever I want anymore, and Dylan is probably avoiding me, so if you're able, is there any chance that you could join me for a fencing lesson?"

Newkirk dodged the proposal. "I would, you know. I have a little experience. My da taught me for a while when I was younger. But middies are hardly free to do what they want with their time, so I'll have to say no. But if you want, I could talk to Dylan about coming to see you again once in a while. Besides, me coming to give you food instead of him, that was supposed to be temporary."

"That would work as well," Alek said thoughtfully. "Thank you in advance."

"Farewell for now, then, er, your Highness," Newkirk said. "I'll tell you what Dylan says." He waved then turned and head out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"_Mr._ Sharp," Bovril commented.

A cold shock hit Alek, as if out of thin air. In that moment, everything came together. Dylan's voice cracked _high,_ not low. He was unusually skinny. He never changed around Alek or Newkirk. He avoided bathing when he could help it. Volger had noticed his secret because of the way he held himself, and the way he defended Alek...

Dylan Sharp was a girl.


	7. Chapter Six: Not Going Back

This might be a bit of a boring chapter, at least to avid Alek/Deryn shippers, since there isn't really any interaction between them, but have hope! They'll meet again! In the meantime, there's a subplot on the kettle, and soon enough, you can bet it will be whistling. :P

* * *

Deryn had gotten to doing her other chores more quickly since she began visiting Alek, and when those visits stopped abruptly, she found herself with a rare surplus of time. She had decided to use her time to get a little friendlier with the new officers on the ship. It never hurt to make a good impression, especially when one was a lowly middy. There were four of them: Mr. Taylor, a loudmouth whose head was full of yackum, Mr. Hall, the secretive man she had already met, Mr. Bennett, who was uptight and not very nice (a Clanker might say that his bolts had been screwed a little too tightly), and Mr. White, who actually had a deep tan. She tended to avoid Mr. Bennett, and Mr. Hall tended to avoid her, but the other two were amiable enough, or at the very least, they didn't consider her a nuisance like most of the _Leviathan_'s crew did. She had enjoyed a short period of celebrity after rescuing Newkirk and being awarded a medal, but since her first mission ended in disaster, she was finding herself regarded as a pest once again. However, the newcomers hadn't yet adopted the opinions of the others, so they provided better company.

At the moment, she had cornered Mr. Hall, and was talking to him about the Huxleys. He had seemed quite eager to leave until the conversation arrived at that subject, which Deryn thought was strange, because by this time he ought to have known the beasties as well as he did himself. There wasn't much to them anyway, other than guts, sinews, and a fishy smell that even the boffins had never managed to get rid of.

"I must admit, I've never gotten used to the way they move," Mr. Hall confided.

Deryn gave him a sceptical look. "You're not a Monkey Luddite, surely. Otherwise you'd be some farmer out in the country where you didn't have to deal with any beasties, or at least, not as many."

The man was blank-faced for a moment before responding carefully, "My mother and father were uncomfortable around fabricated beasts. I dislike thinking I have a problem with the creatures, but perhaps their habits influenced mine." Why did this man speak so strangely? Deryn thought he sounded like an upper-class Englishman trying to imitate a thick Scottish accent like her grandmam had had. Surely that couldn't be the case, though. Unless he was mocking her. She gave him a narrow look.

"What is the logic behind the term Monkey Luddite, anyways?" the man continued. "Who would come up with such an odd word?"

"Well... I think it's sort of because of monkeys... and... I don't know!" Deryn protested. She knew what it meant, but she didn't know why the word was invented. She was no fancy-boots boffin like Dr. Barlow, and besides, he was older and all educated-sounding. Shouldn't he know? It should be her asking him, and not the other way around. This Mr. Hall certainly was odd...

"Mr. Sharp!" Dr. Barlow's voice announced behind her. She turned to face the woman, but instead she met thin air; there was instead a messenger lizard poking its head out of a nearby pipe. It continued angrily, "You've forgotten all about poor Tazza! He needs his walk, and you're fifteen minutes late! This is unacceptable, and if you dally any longer, I shall have to inform the captain!"

Deryn didn't bother with elaborate goodbyes. "Got to go!" she shouted urgently, taking off down the hallway at a run.

The insides of the airbeast were familiar to Deryn, and they passed in a blur. It felt like just seconds later that Deryn was leaning on Dr. Barlow's door, breathing heavily. She took a moment to compose herself before knocking, although she was still out of breath. However, on the second knock, the door swung open, and a sneaky little hand grabbed her collar and pulled her in. The door shut behind her.

"I'm terribly sorry about the messenger lizard," Dr. Barlow began. Tazza lay on a rug nearby, perfectly content and not at all in need of a walk. Deryn stared, openmouthed and obviously very confused. The boffin continued, "I had to find an inconspicuous way to get your attention, so that if anyone was around, they wouldn't know why I really called you. As you can see, Tazza does not need a walk, and I am not about to report you to the captain. Instead, I have a bit of an assignment for you, Mr. Sharp."

Deryn suppressed a groan. What was that proverb? Out of the frying pan and into the fire. That was it. The moment she didn't have to spy on Alek anymore, here she was, getting a brand-new secret mission, and from Dr. Barlow, no less!

"No doubt you've seen the new men around the ship, the ones we picked up after the demise of the _Esperance_."

"Of course. Newkirk and I were the ones to bring them up, and I've been getting to know them ever since. You know, I think Mr. Hall is a Monkey Luddite!" Deryn replied conspiratorially.

Dr. Barlow didn't seem entirely amused by her observation. "I have been watching them as well, and it seems as if there is more to Mr. Hall than a simple fear of fabricated animals. Something about him is certainly unusual, but if I were to follow him around and try to figure it out, it would be all kinds of unacceptable. As such, I would like you to do it for me."

So now the boffin wanted her to spy, too. This wasn't her barking _job_! All she'd signed up for was to be a midshipman! She didn't need all this sneaky nonsense!

"Certainly unusual," a voice repeated from above. Deryn glanced up towards the ceiling, and predictably, there was the second loris, its big eyes boring down into hers. Great. A secret mission _and_ an audience. "_Dummkopf_," it added. If Dr. Barlow hadn't been around to see, Deryn would have stuck her tongue out at the beastie right then and there.

Instead, she took a deep breath and replied, "I guess I could keep an eye on him. I've had some more free time lately, and I was talking with the _Esperance_'s crew a lot, so it won't seem too strange if I take a particular liking to one of them and follow him around, will it?"

"If you're already familiar with them, then all the better," Dr. Barlow agreed with a catlike grin. "Now, you don't have to walk Tazza after all, so perhaps now would be a good time to get started on your little quest."

Deryn took the hint. "I'll see if I can track down Mr. Hall again, but it could take a while. He's a sneaky one for sure. Wish me luck!"

Once she was back out in the corridor, she set off on her new mission, but an unexpected anger was welling up inside her. Why was everyone pulling her this way and that, asking her to do whatever they didn't feel like doing themselves? The captain had wanted her to spy on Alek, and then Alek had pestered her unendingly about her secret, and now that she was away from him for good, here was Dr. Barlow, telling her that she had to go chasing around some new officer to spy on _him_. She was just a midshipman; why did she get stuck with all these jobs?

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't hear Newkirk ambling up behind her, and when he addressed her, she almost jumped. "Newkirk, you ninny! And you keep telling me to watch where I'm going!"

"I didn't bump into you," he pointed out innocently. "I just said your name while I was behind you."

"Well, don't," Deryn snapped. Newkirk held up his hands in a gesture of non-violence. "Hey, don't shoot the messenger. I'm here on behalf of Alek. He's decided that it doesn't matter what your secret is, and that it's more important to stay friends. He thinks that you should start coming again. So do I," he added thoughtfully. "Things have been frightfully busy for me ever since you opted out of that one."

And there it was. Another request. She wasn't a puppet! How long would it take for everyone on this damned ship to realize that? "Sorry, but I'm not talking to him anymore," Deryn replied with more than a subtle hint of irritation. "I'll do what I can to help you, but I don't want anything to do with him."

Newkirk sighed and shrugged. "That's your problem, I guess. And his. If you could talk to Dr. Barlow about me not needing extra time helping with the messenger lizards, though, I guess I could make it a deal."

Stupid Monkey Luddites. "Done," Deryn said. "Now, I have to go, if you'll excuse me." In fact, she didn't even remember right away what she was supposed to do, but she had had enough of people trying to tell her what to do for one day. Maybe Newkirk could try again tomorrow, but she hoped he wouldn't. Every time he asked, there would be a risk that she would give in and say yes, and that would destroy her career as a midshipman for good.

Finally, she remembered that she was supposed to be watching Mr. Hall. She turned around and headed in a different direction; the sooner she had him figured out and Dr. Barlow stopped nipping her heels about it, the better.


	8. Chapter Seven: A Troubling Impasse

Rawr! It's a surprise double-Deryn chapter! She features in here again, partially due to necessity in order to keep the plot running and partially because Alek really doesn't have anything to do at the moment anyways, though he does make a quick appearance here. Also, this chapter has just a teensy bit of nudity, but it's not described or anything. I thought I'd warn readers anyways. And if anyone doesn't like period talk, I suggest skipping the first few paragraphs. :P

* * *

Deryn hated blood. It wasn't because she was squeamish, nor was it because the sight made her dizzy. She hated it because it was barking inconvenient. Was this some kind of cruel joke by God? It was either that, or he'd made Eve out of the worst rib there was to choose from.

The cycle had started a few days ago, shortly after Dr. Barlow had given her her new assignment. It was infuriating enough when she was going about her usual business on the ground, but it became practically impossible when she was on an airship, pretending to be a boy. The tiniest speck of blood would earn her a check-up for sure, if it came from that area, and then she'd be discovered; after all, if she resisted, then they would eventually figure out why. There was no way to win at that game.

And so the only solution was to stuff as much spare cloth down there as she could. Napkins, toilet paper, anything. Usually it was enough, but sometimes it wasn't, and she would just have to hope for the best.

At the moment, she was hoping for the best. She was coming back from something of a review of aeronautics, which was probably just there to make sure she and Newkirk weren't about to do anything brilliant and stupid (even though she did things like that all the time, and as such, she'd gotten a medal). At the moment, she was taking the shortest route back to her room, where she would use a sheet of paper she had stolen as extra padding. It wasn't much, but it was something.

Deryn had just passed the lizard room when, all of a sudden, Alek appeared from a hall leading to his room. Just a little too quickly, she turned on her heel and began heading in the other direction much more quickly than before.

"Hey! Dylan! Wait! We need to talk!" Alek called out. Deryn quickened her pace. She didn't want to seem cold, but it was more important that she avoid him at all costs. He could think whatever he wanted. She could hear him coming closer, practically at a run. Her heart was pounding, and just before he reached her, she broke into a sprint and darted in a different direction. Left. Left. Right. Left. She never paid attention to where she went anymore; she just knew. Finally, she found herself leaning against the wall, arms splayed and eyes wide. Alek was nowhere to be seen, and she couldn't hear his footsteps, either. In fact, this part of the_ Leviathan_ was startlingly empty. She took a minute to compose herself before heading back towards her room. This time, just to make sure, she took a circuitous route in order to avoid the intersection of hallways where she had run into Alek. She hated running from him, not only because it was rude, but because it made her feel like a total ninny.

Thankfully, she didn't have to do it again. The remainder of the trip back to her room was decidedly Alek-less. She had lost a little time due to her run-in, but she imagined it couldn't take that long to just stuff a piece of paper down her pants. Once she reached her destination, she opened and closed the door, not bothering to lock it; after all, she was only in here for a minute or two. There wasn't really any danger, since the room was supposed to be empty at the moment anyways. Nobody would come looking unless she was late for some reason, and if that was the case, well, then, she'd lock the door.

Sighing to herself, Deryn plopped down on her bed and pulled the crumpled paper out of her pocket. She did what she could to smooth it then folded it three times, wishing more vehemently than ever that she didn't have to go through with this every month.

Quickly, she unbuckled her belt and slipped her britches down just as far as she had to. Even when she was in the safety of her room, it never hurt to be on guard. She reached down—

There was a creaking sound behind Deryn, and it couldn't have been anything but the door. She froze in place. If that wasn't an errant hydrogen sniffer, then someone had just discovered her secret.

She turned with a dreamlike slowness, terror pulsing through her like the mad beating of wings. She realized suddenly the swift thumping sound was her own heart. It was so loud, she was surprised the floor wasn't shaking beneath her feet with the force of it.

After what felt like a lifetime, the intruder entered her field of vision. It was Mr. Hall himself, and in his right hand was a Clanker gun.

Their eyes locked. In his, she could see her own panic and uncertainty reflected back to her, and it was at that moment she realized with a jolt that this man was a Clanker spy. The only other guns on the _Leviathan_ were compressed air guns, and this hefty contraption couldn't possibly have been created by Darwinists. He must have smuggled it aboard.

Deryn opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She tried again, but all that she could manage was a weak croak. Her mind was racing. Her back was still to him; was there any way she could still convince him...? No, impossible. But she knew his secret, too! He couldn't tell anyone, or she would give away his. Very slowly, she pulled her pants back up and redid the belt. The paper flew lazily to the floor, forgotten.

"You're not supposed to be here," she finally managed to croak.

"Neither are you," Mr. Hall replied. Both of them meant more than they said. Slowly, she walked back to her bed and sat on it again. The man closed the door behind him, seeming both angry and perplexed at the same time, as if someone had snubbed him and made it unclear as to why they had done such a thing. "Why would a girl..."

"Don't get started, _Dummkopf_," Deryn snapped. "Male or not, I'm one of the best members of the _Leviathan_'s crew, and besides, if you tell a soul, your career as a spy won't last any longer than mine as a midshipman."

Mr. Hall narrowed his eyes. "They'll find you out eventually, _Miss_ Sharp. You have no training—"

"I'm not a qualified sneaky-beak like you are," Deryn retorted defiantly, "but I've lasted a lot longer than you, so if I were in your boots, I wouldn't be so pompous. You're the first person to figure it out, and that's because you were never supposed to be snooping around my room in the first place!" She decided it would be best not to tell him that Count Volger did, in fact, know about her secret. A little fib was nothing big, especially not when its recipient was a Clanker spy.

"Enough of this," Mr. Hall growled. "I have no wish to argue with some cross-dressing madwoman. Yes, I'll keep your secret. I have no reason to care whether or not it gets out. But if you tell a soul about my mission, you'll find yourself off the _Leviathan_ faster than you can blink, mark my words."

Deryn scowled and stood up. "Good. We're agreed, then. Get out." The man glared icicles right back at her. She wondered what would come next, but after a few seconds of silence, he concealed his gun, turned on his heel, and slammed the door behind him as he left. She could hear the sound of his angry footsteps bouncing off the walls as he stalked back the way he had come. As soon as she couldn't discern them any longer, she heaved a deep, shuddering sigh, letting out all her shock and terror in one breath. That made two people who had found out who she really was. Both of them were keeping her secret for their own reasons, but who was there to say that she'd be so lucky the third time? What if it were Alek? Newkirk? Dr. Barlow? The barking _captain_?

From now on, Deryn decided, she would have to take pains to lock her door whenever she was in her room, just in case she slipped into some feminine habit, like examining her nails the girly way, instead of how Jaspert has shown her. Maybe she had gotten too lenient, but she had learned her lesson now. It was time to bury Deryn Sharp once and for all. She was Dylan, and if she couldn't play that part correctly, then Mr. Hall was right: she would get her sorry bum kicked off the _Leviathan_, and nobody would be sad to see her go.


	9. Chapter Eight: Feelings

Here's the scene everyone's been waiting for! :P Thanks to Maggy for editing the romance, since, as she so artfully put it, I dissect it as if it were a science experiment. ;) Here's to buddies that can help you with troublesome scenes, even though they have questionable grammar. 3

* * *

It had been a week since Dylan had last come to see Alek, and other than that brief, confusing confrontation in the hallway, there had been no interaction between them at all. Alek had decided darkly that he—_she_—had probably chosen the worst time possible to be evasive. For the most part, Alek had gotten over his anger and his feelings of betrayal, but he knew they still smouldered somewhere deep inside him, ready to lash out as soon as the opportunity arose. They would continue to lie dormant until he and Dylan managed to sort out this prickly lie.

It was early evening, and he leaned against the window, watching the sun descending over the passing landscape. They had recently flown over Tehran, and the setting sun was beginning to illuminate the mountainous landscape and turn it a bright, vivid orange. Alek was deep in thought, contemplating his discovery as he had been for the last few days, almost nonstop. He had gone over what he knew, and he thought there probably weren't any mysteries left to him anymore, but there was one aspect of Dylan's secret that he still couldn't figure out: _why_? Why would a girl with a shot at a perfectly normal life throw it all away to get involved in a war? It had been different with Lilit. She had been born to revolutionaries, and fighting was just who she was. But Dylan, as far as he knew, could have avoided this, could have stayed where she was safe. Why would she risk her life instead? Alek knew that a good many men would avoid going to war if they could, so why didn't a woman? He knew they could fight. Lilit had taught him that. But why would they want to? Society was supposed to protect them from that. Why did Dylan throw that away? Perhaps she really was, as she would have put it, 'cracked in the attic.' Alek sighed. Maybe she was right. Maybe things had been better when he hadn't known.

There was a gentle knock on the door. It pulled Alek out of his reverie, and he stared at it blankly over his shoulder for a few seconds before remembering his manners. "Come in." He turned fully to face them as they entered.

Alek was startled to recognize the visitor. It was Dylan. He remarked gently, forgetting for a moment that he had urgent questions to ask, "I thought you were trying to avoid me."

"Aye. I was. And I was doing a barking good job of it, too. But... Alek, listen. I need help. There's someone on this ship..." She took a deep breath. Now that he saw her for what she was, it was hard to believe he could ever have mistaken her for a boy. There was a definite feminine look about her, especially her face and her long lashes, and she just wasn't shaped like a boy. He realized with a jolt that she was in fact quite beautiful, even in a man's clothes with her hair cut short. Dylan finally continued, sounding as if she were in pain, "Someone is threatening us. I can't say who. But they want every last man on the _Leviathan _dead."

"Why are you telling me?" Alek asked, confused. "Why wouldn't you tell your captain about it?" He finally remembered that he had to ask Dylan if his second guess was true, even though he already knew deep inside that it was.

But Dylan was speaking again before Alek could continue, all the words tumbling out of her mouth at once. "There's a man, but I can't tell anyone who he is, because he knows the secret I told you about, and if I tell people about him, he'll tell people about me!"

Alek cut her off by replying, just loudly enough to be heard over her panicked exclamations, "You can tell me. You have nothing to lose, not from me. I figured it out, Dylan. But that isn't your real name, is it?"

Dylan stared at him, her eyes wide like those of a trapped animal. "Alek—you said you wouldn't—Idon'tknowwhatyoumean!"

"I told Newkirk I wouldn't try to figure it out, and that much is true," Alek explained. "But then Bovril, he kept saying your name strangely... you're not Mr. Sharp at all."

There was utter silence, and the longer it stretched out, the more Alek began to think that Dylan was about to have a breakdown. His—her, he corrected himself for the second time—usual swagger had disappeared, and she seemed pale, almost sickly-looking. Of course, if Dylan was a girl instead of a boy, then he could understand how all this would be affecting her.

Finally, Dylan nodded slowly, almost imperceptibly. "You're right. Mr. Sharp is my brother. My real name is Deryn Sharp, and I may be a girl, but I'm still a barking good airman." Despite her paleness, she stuck out her chin proudly, and in that moment, Alek felt what he realized, with both shock and embarrassment, was a pang of affection. Now that she admitted it openly, his anger drained away, leaving a hollowness that was beginning to fill up with something new, alien, something he didn't even want. It made sense, he thought, that she hadn't wanted him to know. He wouldn't have either, in her place, just in case, no matter how close they were. He knew that feeling, that kinship with the Leviathan, and he was just as reluctant to give it up, even though he was a Clanker. If a Clanker could love a godless Darwinist abomination this much, then it made perfect sense that a woman could too.

"I know you are," Alek responded. "I was furious, when I figured it out, but... I can understand why you hid it. If there was any chance that I had told someone else... no, I understand completely. And we're still friends, Dylan. Deryn."

"Keep calling me Dylan," Deryn urged, her white face beginning to bloom red instead. "If you call me Deryn, it could slip in front of other people, and that'd be no good... and thank you, Alek. Thank you so, so much. I was so worried..."

Alek smirked. "You had reason. It's good that things turned out the way they did, but all odds considered, it's much more likely that they'd have turned out differently." Inside, he was still reeling a little. He'd known she was a girl, but still, hearing her say it brought about the old disbelief.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Deryn was frantic again. "But that man! He wants the Leviathan to burn!" He could see that she was warring with herself. The indecision was tearing her apart; he could feel it, but all he could think about was how attractive Deryn was now that he knew she was a girl. While Deryn was having her breakdown, Alek couldn't help but take in her beauty. His eyes took in her flushed cheeks, traced her soft lips, and suddenly, his brain stopped working. A wave of pity welled inside of him, and before he had even registered what he was doing, he had crossed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers.

Deryn squeaked, and made a move to pull away, but instead she found her arms wrapped around him, holding him as tightly as she could. Her shoulders shook, but she had the pride to hold back the tears that should have accompanied the sobbing. Instead, she kept her lips pressed against his, forcing herself back into control of her own body. Alek relaxed into her embrace, tasting the sweet and salty tang that made up her lips. He decided, then and there, that her gender didn't matter a mite. She was Deryn Sharp, and she was his best friend, and he loved her, and that was that.

After a blissful few seconds that seemed much shorter than they were, Deryn stepped away. "I..." she croaked, then paused. Alek could see her thinking of the words to describe what just happened, but she seemed to remember a more pressing issue. "That... was nice. But we still need to do something about the man. I—it's Mr. Hall, Alek. One of the men from the _Esperance._ He's a Clanker spy. Ever since we discovered each other a few days ago, he's been giving me looks, and now all the questions he's been asking are starting to make sense. He kept asking about how stable the ship was, how a strafing hawk could be killed, things like that... he's going to be the death of us all unless we do something!"

Alek listened with dismay as Deryn explained what she knew. He was beginning to think too much like a Darwinist; the moment she said the man was a Clanker spy, his heart seized, and he felt an overwhelming urge to protect the_ Leviathan_ and its crew, as if they were his own people and not the enemy. "We'll figure something out," he said firmly. Without hesitation, he leaned forward and kissed her again, this time on the cheek.

However, the door had been left unlocked. At that very moment, there was a frenzied knocking, and the outsider burst in before Alek could make a move to cover up his action.

It was Dr. Barlow. "Alek! I need your assistance immediately! The other loris—" Then she realized what she had interrupted. A deathly silence fell upon the room.


	10. Chapter Nine: A Missing Loris

The oppressive silence droned on as Dr. Barlow stared at Alek and Deryn. She was unusually dishevelled, as if she hadn't quite finished dressing before tearing out of her room; one of the buttons on her coat was undone, and her bowler hat was tipped to one side. But she hardly seemed to notice. She had been much too distracted, it appeared, even before she had walked in on this.

"I—I can explain..." Deryn croaked. It was a lie. It was a big barking lie and all three of them knew it. "It—um, I... we were... practicing... see, there's a lass back home, and I thought, maybe if Alek didn't mind..."

"You're a girl," Dr. Barlow said matter-of-factedly. "Of course! I should have known. And you and Alek... oh, of _course_. It was bound to happen if you ever let him know."

"In my defence, I figured it out," Alek muttered. Deryn elbowed him softly. Now wasn't the time for details.

She pleaded, "I know I lied to you and everyone else, but please don't tell anybody! Too many people know already..."

"Your secret is safe with me," Dr. Barlow assured her. The ice prickling up Deryn's neck thawed a little. "It was just an unexpected surprise. But on the topic of unexpected surprises, something terrible has happened!"

Alek and Deryn snapped to attention, Deryn out of habit and Alek out of astonishment. He'd never seen Dr. Barlow in such a state, but Deryn had, back during their peacekeeping mission in Istanbul that had ended so disastrously. It worried her; what could possibly have happened to merit that same shock?

"I had taken Tazza for a walk by myself for once," Dr. Barlow explained hurriedly. "It was a short walk, only ten minutes at the most, but when I returned to my room, the perspicacious loris was gone! I searched long and hard, but it couldn't have fit into the messenger lizard tubes, and there was no other way it could have wandered out of the room. I searched everywhere, and I still didn't find it, and that can only mean that it's been kidnapped."

The words froze Deryn in place all over again and sent a chill down her spine. She had known. She had known about Hall, and she had never told Dr. Barlow, and now whatever he had done to this loris was all her fault! She should have sacrificed her secret. It wasn't worth the danger this spy was putting them all in. If only she could have figured it all out earlier! But no, she had been moping over Alek instead. _You're a stupid _Dummkopf_, that's what you are, _she told herself bitterly. This entire mess was her fault, but she was fiercely determined to clean it up. She would do everything she could to save the loris, if it was still alive, and if she had to, she would tell Captain Hobbes about her secret. It was the least she could do to make up for how she'd been.

"It has to be Mr. Hall," she replied. "I discovered that he was a Clanker spy almost a week ago, but he also discovered that I was—that I'm a girl, and neither of us could tell anyone or the other would give them away. That's why I couldn't tell you. But now I can, because you already know. He must be the one behind it. I don't know how he'd get into your room. Maybe you forgot to lock it. But he's your man."

"Yes, you should have told me," Dr. Barlow snapped. "Do you really think I'd have been concerned with your gender-bending? This is far more important, Miss Sharp! I thought of you as my confidante. Apparently I was wrong." Her voice was so cold that both Alek and Deryn were intimidated by it.

"Clanker spy," Bovril reminded them shrilly, climbing from one of Alek's chairs to the table. "Kidnapped!"

"Bovril is right," Alek said, picking up the remaining loris and putting it on his shoulder. "We can worry about this later. Right now, we need to do something about that other loris. Maybe Bovril can help!"

"Aye, the beastie's smart enough," Deryn agreed. Dr. Barlow nodded crisply then headed out the door. "We'll split up. I'll find Mr. Newkirk, and we'll check the inside of the ship. Miss Sharp, you look in Mr. Hall's room, or wherever he sleeps, alone or with the other men from the _Esperance_. It doesn't matter. Alek, I am going to temporarily liberate you from your room so that you can help us, no matter what the captain says or thinks. You go with Miss Sharp, and if neither of you find anything, then check the spine." Before either of them could ask any questions, the boffin was gone from the doorway.

Deryn glanced at Alek for a split second before they tore out of the room too, Bovril clinging to Alek's shoulder for dear life. She took the lead and he followed, staying as close behind as he could without crowding her. He secretly agreed with Dr. Barlow that she should have told them earlier, but it conflicted with his understanding of her fear. He would have kept it to himself too, in her place. Maybe that just meant neither of them would have had the strength to do what was right. It was a dark thought, but he couldn't think of any other reason.

With the pace they were going at, it didn't take long at all to reach Mr. Hall's room. He shared it with Mr. White, so it seemed unlikely that he would have been able to hide a loris inside, dead or alive, without the other man noticing. Unless Mr. White was a spy too...

Alek scanned the hallway quickly. "Nobody here." Deryn tried the doorknob, but it was locked. She threw herself against the door instead, but all that accomplished was to make an awful racket. She took a second to recover before she slammed into it again, but this time Alek was beside her, and their combined strength forced the door open. They both ran into the room. It was plain, dimly lit by phosphorescent worms. There was little more inside than two beds. "I don't think we'll find anything here," Alek remarked.

"Best check it anyways," Deryn replied. "Just in case." Her voice squeaked girlishly at the end. Alek gave her a rueful look, and she cleared her throat then began searching various drawers under one of the bedside tables. A razor, a cloth, and what seemed to be a picture of someone's wife were inside the top. If these belonged to Mr. Hall, then she doubted it was his real wife.

There was only one other drawer. Alek had already searched most of the room, albeit haphazardly, but they both had a feeling they wouldn't find the loris here. This drawer was locked, and it took some tugging before it finally came loose.

Deryn gasped softly when she saw its contents. There were surgical scissors, scalpels, all sorts of nasty devices... exactly the sort of things one might use during a dissection. She had seen Dr. Erasmus taking apart messenger lizards before, to figure out why they'd died if he didn't already know, and these looked similar enough that they must have been meant for the same purpose. "I think I know what our spy was going to do with Dr. Barlow's loris," she murmured. Alek peered over her shoulder, causing an unwanted wave of giddiness to wash over her.

"That's awful," Alek remarked with disgust. "But still, we aren't going to save that loris by staying in this room. There's nothing here. To the spine?" Deryn nodded her assent and they departed hastily, heading towards the stairs which would lead them there. There was no time to lose.

Nevertheless, shortly after they left the room, they came across Mr. Bennett, who scowled distrustfully upon sighting Alek. "What is that boy doing out of his room?" he snapped. "Someone such as himself requires far more than an inexperienced midshipman as a guard! Go back to your duties, Mr. Sharp, and leave this boy to me. You can be sure that the captain will hear of this!" The man reached forward and grabbed Alek's wrist in an iron grip before he or Deryn could make a move to stop him.

"Let me go!" Alek protested angrily, trying in vain to jerk away. "This is serious! One of the lorises went missing! Dr. Barlow's asked for my help! You can't just bring me back to my room like—like some _child_!"

"Watch me," Mr. Bennett replied coldly. He began dragging Alek back along the hallway. Deryn stared after him, torn between arguing for him and continuing the search for the loris. But there was nothing she could do to help Alek now, and she could see in his eyes that he knew it too. With a final worried glance in his direction, she turned and continued towards the spine by herself. She would have to do this alone.


	11. Chapter Ten: The Fall

Sorry that took so long! Life got busy all of a sudden. But at least there's another chapter now. Once again, the back-and-forth with Deryn and Alek has been breached to give another double-Deryn-feature (ok, ok, it sounds stupid, I get it already!). Once again, that's because Alek doesn't really have anything to do, though as you'll see, he makes a much-needed appearance later on. He tells his story in the next chapter. Anyways, Deryn's awesomer.

* * *

Deryn stood alone on the Spine, scanning for any sign of the spy. She was totally still except for the wind tousling her hair. At first glance, there didn't seem to be anyone there, but she would have to explore further before she could be sure Mr. Hall wasn't skulking about. It was a large place, and there was a chance he was hiding out of sight, clinging to the ratlines on the ship's sides. Deryn had donned her harness of the way up so that she would be able to look there too.

She began moving forwards when the hatch behind her opened. She spun, ready to attack, and almost kicked Newkirk in the face. He flinched, his eyes squeezing shut involuntarily, and ducked back. After a few seconds, when he realized he wasn't about to be attacked, he peeked up at her and glared dolefully. "I'd rather you didn't make a habit of attacking your fellow midshipman, Mr. Sharp."

Deryn reddened a little and offered him a hand. "And I'd rather you didn't pop up behind me like a sneaky-boots when a spy is loose!"

Newkirk took her hand and used it to pull himself to his feet. His eyes searched their surroundings for a moment, a clear blue sky accompanied by a breeze, before returning to her. He sighed and let himself smile a little. "Fine. I'll give you that. Speaking of the spy, I'm here to help you. Dr. Barlow went to alert Captain Hobbes and told me to come help you and Alek. Where has he run off to, anyway?" A shadow of suspicion crossed his face.

"We were stopped," Deryn explained quickly. "Mr. Bennett passed us and decided he would force Alek back to his room like some prisoner!"

"It sort of makes sense," Newkirk responded thoughtfully. "After all, he's a Clanker too. How do you know they aren't conspiring? Maybe this is for the better. Look on the bright side, right?"

Deryn responded coldly, "Is there anything he can do that will make any of you trust him? It's obvious he's on our side! He's saved the entire barking Leviathan and everyone on it! I think that's proof enough!"

"People can be persuaded," Newkirk retorted angrily, upset at the outburst. "Maybe he was on our side then, because he wanted to get his bum off that glacier, now Britain and Austria-Hungary are at war, and the tides have changed. Look, Dylan, I know you two are close, but can you really trust him so easily? I wouldn't, if I were you."

"You don't know him," Deryn spat. She turned and stalked away from Newkirk. She didn't need that ninny's help; she would search for Mr. Hall on her own. In fact, his help was probably the last thing she could have wanted right now. How could he be so... assuming? As if the fact that Alek was a Clanker meant he couldn't be human.

She had gone maybe ten steps when she heard a startled cry behind her. She span, ready to help, but she was too late; she could only stare in horror as Mr. Hall, who seemed to have come out of the hatch behind Newkirk, now pushed him towards the side, and towards a fall that would inevitably be deadly. Unlike Deryn, Newkirk wasn't wearing a harness.

"Newkirk, look out!" she cried, struggling to get between her friend and the spy. Upon closer inspection, she could see the missing loris under the man's arm. Its eyes were almost comically wide, and it was ominously silent, as if it knew the severity of its situation.

Newkirk stumbled and fell, his hands groping for the ratlines as he began to slip towards the side of the spine. He was in no danger of falling, not yet, but a gentle slope had begun, and if Mr. Hall pushed him any farther, Deryn doubted it would take long.

"Leave him alone!" she hissed, getting between the two and balling her fists angrily.

Mr. Hall's mouth twisted into a cruel grin. "Well, if it isn't the little girlie!" Deryn paled a little. He took advantage of her momentary shock to force her backwards as well. She tripped over Newkirk and they landed together in a heap. With an agonizing slowness, she could feel herself slipping downward. She clipped her harness to a length of rope nearby, preparing for the inevitable. Then she grabbed Newkirk in a death grip, holding him as tightly as she could. His life depended on it. He was deathly pale as he stared up at her. "We're going to die... we're going to die!" he rasped hoarsely.

Deryn shook her head and held him more firmly. Even if he hadn't heard the spy reveal her secret, they were pressed so closely together now that it would be impossible for him not to notice. But it was no matter. His life was more important. "Even if we do, we'll go down fighting," she replied bravely. "Promise me you'll hold on as tightly as you can." Otherwise, the jerk when they met the end of the rope would yank him right out of her arms.

He squeezed his eyes shut and buried his head in her shoulder. "I promise." Then they rolled off the spine, and they were met by open air. There was a brief second of free-falling, and a thousand situations ran through Deryn's head. What if the rope snapped? What if she lost Newkirk? A vivid image passed through her head, a memory of the day her Da died. Was she going to end up like him? At least she'd die doing what she loved: flying.

Then there was a sharp tug, and Deryn felt the breath knocked out of her. She gasped, but no air would come, and alarms began to sound in her head. Her grip on Newkirk loosened. He had almost been knocked loose by the fall, and if she didn't keep holding on, he'd fall to his death for sure. "Hold on!" she wheezed, clutching Newkirk's hand in desperation. It was cold and clammy, and his fingers kept slipping through hers. For one terrible second, she was sure she would lose him, but he adjusted his grip, pulling himself up and grabbing her sleeve then wrapping his arms around her shoulders, the way they'd been before the fall. She knew what was coming. Sure enough, a moment later, he tensed, pulled his head back, and stared at her in shock.

"It doesn't matter!" she snapped. "I'm saving your life, and if you ever tell a soul, I'll take it away!" But his eyes had changed focus. He wasn't even looking at her anymore; instead he looked past her. Deryn twisted her neck, but she couldn't see what he did. "What is it?" she demanded.

"He's—he's cutting the—no, wait, I think he's distracted—I can't see anymore!"

"He cut the rope? How much?" she asked urgently. They were passing over a large lake, and she didn't fancy hitting it from this height.

"It's hard to see," Newkirk responded vaguely. "I don't think he cut much. But if he comes back, we're done for. And barking spiders, Dylan, you're a _girl_?"

Deryn punched him gently in the gut and he winced. "Aye, and without me, you'd still be dead a few times over, I might add!"

"I know, I know!" Newkirk squeaked, grimacing from the impact. "I don't care about that! My mum's a feminist so I know all about it! It was just unexpected!" Deryn was somewhat pacified by this. She tried again to turn her head and see what was going on, but it was impossible.

"What do you see?" she asked again.

Newkirk squinted, then cried out. "It's Alek! He has a sabre, and he's keeping the spy from the rope! He has the loris, and—_duck_!" There wasn't even time for a question to form on Deryn's lips. Newkirk pushed them both to the side with his body weight just as a human form hurtled past them. She recognized the spy, and knew immediately that that was the end of it all. She and Newkirk remained close together, both shaken, both breathing heavily. There was a cranking sound far above them, and they found themselves slowly being pulled upward. "Don't tell anyone," Deryn whispered.

"I won't," Newkirk promised. It wasn't long before they were back on the spine. By then, half the Leviathan's crew had joined Alek, and nobody made a move to stop him. This time, it seemed, they were all willing to believe he was a hero. Newkirk, who was still a deathly shade of white, promptly fainted, and Deryn almost wished she could have done the same, but she had a hundred questions, and she wouldn't rest until they were answered.

* * *

Post-chapter note: I don't believe Newkirk's mother was ever referred to as a feminist. I spun that one all by myself, because it made my life easier. xD


	12. Chapter Eleven: Aftermath

After numerous protests, Deryn had been allowed from the scuffle without a medical check-up. Newkirk hadn't been so lucky, but he had looked so pale that she thought it was probably for the best anyways. She and Alek had retired to her room; because of his recent heroism in saving two members of the _Leviathan_'s crew, midshipmen or not, he had been given a temporary and tacit release from his imprisonment.

The two sat alone on Deryn's bed. Behind closed doors, they were confident enough to hold hands, even if they still blushed when they did so. "Thanks for what you did back there," Deryn told him quietly. She really meant it. The one time her brazenness had taken her too far, he had been there to bring her back, against all odds, and against all the rules, too. She squeezed his hand.

"It was nothing," Alek responded thoughtfully. Less than an hour ago, they had been standing in his room kissing for the first time, and he had had no idea what to think, but after recent events, he was sure that he still loved her, reckless as she was. He could get over the idea that she was a midshipman and a woman at the same time. It was bizarre and unfamiliar to him, but for her, he was willing to overturn old prejudices.

Deryn raised an eyebrow, and Alek reflected, not for the first time, how he ever could have mistaken her for a boy. There was something undeniably feminine about her, even when she was dressed in a uniform like this. It was a good disguise, taking into consideration that nobody expected her to be a girl, but once one knew, it was hard to see her as a male. She told him wryly, "If you ask me, that was a bit more than nothing. You saved my barking life, and Newkirk's too. _And_ the loris. Not bad for one day." Possibly even better than she could have done, but even if she could admit that to herself, she'd never say it out loud to him, especially now that he knew who she really was. Even though she knew she could trust him with her life, she was still suspicious of his views towards women. Not that she minded showing off a little extra to make sure he got the point.

"I suppose I did," Alek agreed. "And you're welcome. But once the excitement has faded, do you really think anything will have changed? I'm still a prisoner, I'm still Austrian, and our countries are still at war. I know the crew was impressed, but from what I've heard, the Admiralty would not necessarily find my disobedience impressive, regardless of its outcome."

"Bunch of sods they are," Deryn muttered. "I don't understand why they can't just figure out that not every Austrian is out to kill them. A couple of kids get it, but a bunch of old men can't."

"People like that think everyone is out to harm them in some way," Alek replied wryly. Deryn smirked and cuffed him. He tried halfheartedly to evade her, but ended up letting her hit him anyways. There was nothing to be lost from just taking it easy once in a while; she had taught him that much.

There was silence for a moment before Deryn's expression slowly transformed into one of curiosity. "Alek, how did you save us, exactly? You haven't even told the whole story yet. Start when Mr. Bennett brought you back to your room."

Alek sighed, recalling the stern man's disapproval. He wondered if Bennett thought any differently now that his disobedience had actually proven to have a positive outcome. Some peoples' minds could never be changed... suddenly, he was reminded of Volger. One was his enemy, and the other his ally, but they were more similar than they thought.

He realized he was keeping Deryn waiting, and snapped back to the present. "After we were separated," he began, "I kept thinking that I couldn't leave you to face the spy all alone. We hadn't found him, and we'd have known if Dr. Barlow and Mr. Newkirk had; that meant he was probably on the Spine, and you were going to face him all alone."

"I probably could have, if I hadn't had to save Newkirk's bum," Deryn muttered. Alek grinned and continued. "When I was all alone in my room, that wasn't what I was thinking. I was worried sick, and I kept thinking about how things could go wrong. All the images running through my head of you, falling or getting hurt or dying—they just got to be too much. I grabbed my sabre and left again, and I brought Bovril, too."

"And nobody else brought you back?" Deryn asked.

Alek smiled thinly. "I ran too quickly. There were men calling after me the entire way, trying to stop me. I don't know what they thought I was doing—it wasn't as if I could escape, not when the _Leviathan _is this far off the ground. Not unless I had a death wish, anyway. I don't blame them, though. They couldn't have known what was happening. I got to the spine just in time to see you and Newkirk go over the side. It was obvious that the man pushing you was the spy. If I'm to tell the truth, I was frozen for a moment. I thought you had been killed, and that... it was like I'd become a statue. I suppose the idea of it was shocking," he added with a rueful smile, "even though I should be used to you risking your life by now. Then Mr. Hall began cutting a rope, and I realized the two of you must have been holding onto it, which meant you were still alive. I put Bovril down and attacked him, if only to distract him from you. He had a knife, but I had a sabre. The fight was short. I backed him towards the side of the spine, so that he'd surrender; I didn't expect him to jump to his death, but in hindsight, I wouldn't have been surprised.

The man still held the other loris, but then Bovril grabbed onto the man's boot and bit his leg. That made him drop it, and they got out of the way, but he also started to fall backwards. I tried to grab him so that he wouldn't fall, but he took my hand and tried to pull me with him. I yanked away and let him fall. I had to kick him over, or we'd both have died."

Deryn watched Alek with sympathy. She didn't feel much remorse at all for the spy's death, but he and Alek were supposed to be allies, and it was easy to see how he would feel bad for killing him, even if there'd been no other choice. With an awkward hesitance, she put her arm around his shoulder. "Hey," she said softly. "What you did was right. It was him or the both of you, so don't you dare blame yourself for any of it, you ninny." Alek let out a bark of laughter despite himself, and a warm feeling started to flood through him, the same feeling that had caused him to kiss Deryn back in his room. "I won't," he promised. With her constant reminders, he knew it'd be an easy one to keep.

There was a short, comfortable silence as the two of them basked in the soft light of the bioluminescent worms, enjoying one another's company. Then Alek elbowed Deryn gently. "So, _Mr._ Sharp," he said in a teasing imitation of Bovril's phrase, "shall we go and see that Mr. Newkirk is getting quality treatment?"

"Aye, your Princeliness," Deryn agreed. "And maybe after that, we can go watch the sunset like two barking lovebirds."

Alek caught on to the gist of her charade quickly. "Right in front of some crewmembers. I'm sure that'd have them asking questions."

Deryn flashed him a wicked grin. "Sounds like a deal to me."

* * *

The end! Well, there'll be an epilogue, but that'll only be the length of the prologue. Probably. Thanks to all you wonderful readers for your faves, alerts, and comments. Sorry this took so long coming; with any luck, the epilogue will be a bit faster.


End file.
